London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Islington 1965
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Islington Borough]
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Food Poisoning
Number of Notifications Received
| 1947 | 8 | 1953 | 270 | 1959 | 196 | 1965 115 |
| 1948 | 13 | 1954 | 137 | 1960 | 206 | |
| 1949 | 62 | 1955 | 315 | 1961 | 148 | |
| 1950 | 109 | 1956 | 174 | 1962 | 112 | |
| 1951 | 158 | 1957 | 160 | 1963 | 134 | |
| 1952 | 84 | 1958 | 230 | 1964 | 131 |
There was only one outbreak during the year to be reported to the Ministry of
Health in accordance with Memo. 188 Med. of the Ministry of Health.
In accordance with Circular 2/50 of the Ministry of Health, the table summarising this outbreak is as follows:-
| Date | No. of Noti fi-cations | No. of person s served | No. of cases reported | No. of deaths | Foods involved and Organisms responsible |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11.7.65 | 8 | 200 | 10 | - | Black Pudding Salmonella Typhi Murium |
Outbreak Report
Arising from a notification of a suspected case of food poisoning by a general
practitioner, a domiciliary visit was made by a public health inspector. Specimen jars
were left, and all three members of the family were found to be suffering from confirmed
salmonella typhi murium. On a subsequent re-visit by the public health inspector, it
came to light that the probable cause was black pudding consumed at a party in Hackney, on
10th July 1965.
A further notification of suspected food poisoning from a general practitioner for
another family in this household was investigated, and it was found that the parents
were also both cases of salmonella typhi murium. It was then established that this
family had also consumed black pudding taken from the party in Hackney by the top floor
tenant.
All tenants and contacts in this household were then asked to submit specimens and
were kept under surveillance.
Meanwhile in a third family, two cases of the same food poisoning organism had come
to knowledge in another part of the Borough; at this time there was thought to be no
connection between this second outbreak and the first outbreak.
Further investigations were made and it was established that other cases of
salmonella typhi murium in Hackney and Wandsworth had been proved, and all had consumed
black pudding in Hackney. It was then discovered that the black pudding was being made in
a house in Islington, which was immediately visited by the public health inspector. The
woman who made the black pudding submitted several specimens which remained negative. It
was found out during the course of investigations that she was a child minder to the third
family and so provided a connection between the second outbreak and the original outbreak
in the Borough.
The source of the foodstuffs used to make the black pudding were investigated, but
with negative results.
Lead Poisoning
There were eight references to the department on the subject of lead poisoning
during 1965.
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